The present invention is directed to the use of microbial biotransformation to O-demethylate certain pharmaceutical intermediate compounds. More specifically, it is directed to the use of certain microoganisms to O-demethylate certain pharmacetical intermediate compounds.
An article in Analytica Chimica Acta(1990) 233, 191-198 refers to the use of Cunninghamella elegans to demethylate certain n-propylnoraporphine compounds.
An article in Biomedical and Enviromental Mass Spectrometry (1986) 13, 223-229 refers to the use of Cunninghamella elegans to produce potential metabolites of N-n-propyl norapo morphine.
A review article published in Enzyme and Microbial Technology (1984) 6,242-253 at pages 250-252 broadly reviews the use of certain microorganisms, e.g. fungal species such as Cunninghamella, Aspergillus, Thamnostylum, Penicillium and Sepedonium to O-dealkylate certain compounds.
Chapter 5.5 of Biotransformations in Preparative Organic Chemistry by H. G. Davies et al refers to the use of Sepedonium chrysospermum and Cunninghamella elegans to demethylate certain compounds, including vindoline and 10,11-dimethoxyaporphine.
An article in Phytochemistry (1997) 44 (8), 1479-1482, refers to the use of Aspergillus niger to produce (-)-pinoresinol through O-demethylation of (.+-.)-eudesmin.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,707 granted Apr. 18, 1997 refers to the use of Zygosaccharomyces bailii ATCC 38924 to stereoselectively reduce a pentanoic acid compound to a phenyloxazolidinone product.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,764 refers to the use of oxido/reductases from Lactobacillus plantarum, Pichia haplophila, Candida utilis, Lactobacillus buchmans, Aspergillus flavus and Neurospora crassa to reduce intermediates in the synthesis of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors.